Pawn of Prophecy

The Belgariad, Book 1

De: David Eddings

Narrado por: Brian Wiggins

A magnificent epic set against a history of seven thousand years of the struggles of Gods and Kings and men—of strange lands and events—of fate and a prophecy that must be fulfilled!

THE BELGARIAD

Long ago, so the Storyteller claimed, the evil God Torak sought dominion and drove men and Gods to war. But Belgarath the Sorcerer led men to reclaim the Orb that protected men of the West. So long as it lay at Riva, the prophecy went, men would be safe.

But that was only a story, and Garion did not believe in magic dooms, even though the dark man without a shadow had haunted him for years.

Brought up on a quiet farm by his Aunt Pol, how could he know that the Apostate planned to wake dread Torak, or that he would be led on a quest of unparalleled magic and danger by those he loved—but did not know?

For a while his dreams of innocence were safe, untroubled by knowledge of his strange heritage. For a little while . . .

©1982 David Eddings (P)2024 Tantor

An old friend

I believe David and Leigh Eddings were incredible story tellers. I first read 'Pawn Of Prophecy,' in the early 80s. Listening to it again, over forty years later is like catching up with a good friend I haven't seen in a long while. Wiggins did a good job bringing the characters to life. The story follows Garian life as he learns who he truly is. I still find it frustrating that he is kept ignorant of his heritage, but that makes the story. Sadly, David and Leigh are past, but they left behind a wealth of stories.

How To Build A Universe!

The characterization, world-building and character interactions are simply top notch! Detractors of the series seem to expect Robert Jordan of every series. This is lighter fare, without becoming a teen fantasy.

Not as good as the original.

The story is a classic, but the narration feels like it was a rushed production. Some of the characters sound like obvious stereotypes or out of place in a fantasy world (i.e. Boston accent). Also, the pronunciations of some of the names are not what the author preferred. And to be honest, some of the voices mixed together so you didn't know who was speaking. They should've just rehired Cameron Bierle to do the narration.

Can't tell the difference

The narrator didn't change his voice enought to know which character was talking. Cameron Beierle did a much better job.

Narrator ruins the story

The Belgariad WAS a great story when narrated by Cameron Bieles. This new narrator is terrible. Read the books instead of wasting credits on this

Great characters great story

I loved everything about this book including the voices. The narrator did an amazing job matching voices with all the characters. The story was great to mysteries suspense. There was just one thing that made listening to this book a real pain sometimes. If I turned the volume high enough to hear the softer regular talking, the louder parts rattled the windows. Audible seriously needs to make volume leveling an easy on off option. Because have to turn the volume up or down 40 or 50 times in one chapter is a serious pain. As much as I loved the book I may have to try to return it. I don’t think I can ever go through this bs with the volume again:(

Good narration with a few quirks

I like this version more than the previous narration. Garion is well done, no characters are terrible and Silk is very , very good.

But Durnik and the Sendars have a Boston accent, which is just odd… and amusing. The entire nation of Cherek sound like they’re pleasant brooklyn jews. Just some odd choices.

But again - it is very well done in general.

Good story, not my favorite, but memorable. I started these in high school and have reread/listened a few times since then. Recommended for anyone who likes fantasy. They’re on the simplistic side - but fun with a scattering of great content.

Very nostalgic

One little tiny thing that annoyed me at first was a few of the pronunciations, but the general tone of the story was never lost. The more I listened, the more I was captivated with which the story was told because of the narration

Great consistency with the names of people, places, and things!

I’ve been a fan of the Belgariad since I was kid, and while the story is truly fantastic, I feel it doesn’t get the attention or praise it deserves—especially on BookTube, etc. Perhaps it’s because of the David Eddings' recently discovered pastime, but it feels unfair that his work, which has influenced so much of modern fantasy, is often overlooked. Meanwhile, authors like Neil Gaiman and works like American Gods continue to receive widespread attention, even with the controversies surrounding its author. It’s strange how certain authors remain in the spotlight regardless of what they do, while others, like Eddings, seem to fade from view.

As for the audiobook, I noticed there's a new narrator, and I have to say, he's done an excellent job. The previous narrator, Cameron Beierle, had a great sound and did well with differentiating character voices, but his pronunciation of some of the people, places, and things weren't the best. The new narrator improves on the pronunciations but his voices for some of the characters are confusing sometimes... but it's definitely worth a listen for anyone new to the series or returning to it.

Overall, Pawn of Prophecy (and the rest of Belgariad & Mallorean) is an underrated gem, nowadays. If you're a fan of classic fantasy, you’ll love the depth of the characters, the world-building, and the overall plot. It's a shame it’s not as widely discussed or celebrated as it should be, but that just makes it a hidden treasure for those who discover it.

Finally, a GOOD Narrator!

Brian Wiggins does a good job bringing one of the All-Time GOATS of the Fantasy genre to life!

I loved these books when I read them in the 90's, and when I discovered audiobooks a few years ago the Belgariad series was one of my very first purchases. Unfortunately, I found the narration by Cameron Bierle to be not unlike nails on a chalk board, and had to return them all. I've been waiting patiently for a better narrator (the bar was set low, almost anyone could do a better job), and now I can finally enjoy this series as audiobooks!

If you've never read this series, you are in for a fun, light hearted adventure that is a traditional Fantasy experience. Not a sub-genre, not YA, not Grim Dark, not Cozy, not Romantasy (though there is a very sweet romantic sub-plot) - this is just a good old-fashioned High-Fantasy Good-versus-Evil romp. Plenty of swords, sorcery, Gods, mortals, and a healthy pinch of snarky humor.

I very much look forward to the rest of the series, and hopefully the Malloreon, being released with the new narration. Now if we can just get them to reprint the original hardcovers, I'd be one happy nerd!